Forrest Whitley #55

Graduated from Alamo Heights HS in San Antonio in 2016...was pitching for his high school team on the night of the 2016 draft (June 8) when he was selected by Houston...that night, which was the UIL Class 5A Semifinal at Dell Diamond in Round Rock, Whitley fanned 11 in 6.2 innings on 123 pitches to lead his club into the state championship game...In regular season action, Whitley posted a 9-1 record and a 0.31 ERA in his senior season at Alamo Heights...struck out 126 batters in his 68.0 innings of work... for his stellar senior season in 2016, he was named to the Rawlings-Perfect Game 1st Team All-America and Texas All-Region 1st Team...Also has international experience, having played on the USA Baseball 18U National Team in 2015...Selected by Houston with the 17th overall pick in the first round in the 2016 draft...was the only high school player taken by Houston in the top 25 rounds in 2016... officially signed by the Astros on June 22, 2016...signed by Astros scout Noel Gonzales-Luna...Added to the Astros 40-man roster prior to the 2021 season and used three option years over the last three seasons...was granted a fourth option year by Major League Baseball following the 2023 season...a fourth option year is made available to players in cases in which their allotted three option seasons have been exhausted before recording five full pro seasons due to injury or other various reasons...this year will be his fourth at Major League Spring Training as a 40-man player...was also an NRI at MLB Spring Training from 2019- 20 and 2022-25.

2024

For the first time in his professional career, pitched as a full-time reliever and turned in his best professional season...parlayed his Minor League success into three MLB appearances (0ER/3.1IP)…Spent the majority of his season at Triple A Sugar Land, where he went 4-1 with a 1.89 ERA (7ER/33.1IP) in 32 appearances...struck out 46 hitters in his 33.1 innings while allowing a .203 opponent average....Began the year at Major League Spring Training, but did not make a game appearance... optioned to Minor League camp on March 10...Began the regular season at Sugar Land and made three appearances before his first call-up....Recalled for his Major League debut on April 16 at ATL...tossed 0.2 of a scoreless inning, recording his first out on a lineout by Michael Harris II...optioned back to Triple A on April 17...Missed over a month of play from April 22-June 18 while dealing with right shoulder discomfort....Returned to Triple-A action on June 23 and finished the Triple-A season with a 0.95 ERA (3ER/28.1IP) over his final 27 appearances...his ERAs over his final four months: June (2.25), July (0.00), August (1.64) and September (0.00)…Recalled for his second Major League stint on Sept. 1 and stayed with the Astros through Sept. 5...picked up his first Major League strikeout on Sept. 2 at CIN (Tyler Stephenson)…Was on the Astros Taxi Squad for the postseason.

2023

Opened the 2023 season with Triple-A Sugar Land and went 1-2 with a 5.70 ERA (19ER/30IP) and 32 strikeouts in eight games (six starts)...Had a fantastic outing on April 12 at Oklahoma City, striking out seven batters and allowing just one hit through four scoreless innings...Was removed from his start on May 25 vs. Salt Lake and did return the rest of the season due to a right lat strain. 

2022

Returned to game action in June of 2022, making three rehab starts in the Astros lower levels... promoted to Triple A in July and finished his season with the Space Cowboys...combined to post a 6.53 ERA (29ER/40IP) in 13 games (11 starts) on the season...struck out 45 in his 40.0 innings pitched.

2021

Reported to Major League Spring Training in 2021, but did not pitch in a game...optioned to minor league camp on March 12...experienced discomfort in his elbow while throwing live batting practice in a Spring Training workout...underwent ulnar collateral ligament reconstructive surgery (Tommy John) on his right elbow on March 17...the surgery, which went as planned, was performed by Dr. Keith Meister in Arlington, TX...recovery time is generally 12-14 months.

2020

Was a non-roster invite to Major League Spring Training for the second consecutive season in 2020...made four appearances for the Astros (5ER/6IP) before the COVID-19 shutdown...reported to Summer Camp and impressed in live BPs but did not make the Opening Day roster...spent his entire 2020 season on the 60-man player pool at the Astros Alternate Training site...had his season cut short due to a right forearm strain.

2019

Combined to post a 3-7 record with a 7.99 ERA (53ER/59.2IP), 44 walks and 86 strikeouts between four levels in the Astros system: Triple A Round Rock (8g), Double A Corpus Christi (6g), Class A Advanced Fayetteville (2g) and GCL Astros (2g)...began the year at Round Rock before being placed on the injured list on May 29...began a minor league rehab assignment in July that took him through the GCL Astros and Fayetteville Woodpeckers... moved up to Corpus Christi in August and finished out the season with the Hooks...pitched in the Arizona Fall League following the year and went 3-2 with a 2.88 ERA (8ER/25IP) in six starts for Peoria.

2018

Made eight regular season starts for Double A Corpus Christi, going 0-2 with a 3.76 ERA (11ER/26.1IP)... fanned 34 in his 26.1 innings pitched...didn't debut with the Hooks until June 8 following a 50-game suspension handed down by MLB...made six consecutive starts and exited his outing on July 5 with an oblique injury...was an MLB Futures Game selection but was unable to participate in the contest due to injury...returned to the mound in August to make two more starts before re-injuring his oblique... returned for the postseason, making one start on Sept. 7 at San Antonio (1ER/2.2IP)...following the regular season, pitched for Scottsdale in the Arizona Fall League, where he as named an AFL Rising Star...posted a 2.42 ERA (7ER/26IP) with 36 strikeouts in 26.0 innings across six starts...earned AFL Pitcher of the Week on Oct. 13...finished his campaign with his best performance of the season, tossing 5.0 scoreless, allowing just one hit with nine strikeouts on Nov. 15 vs. Peoria.

2017

Worked his way up the Astros minor league system, moving from Class A Quad Cities to Advanced Class A Buies Creek to Double A Corpus Christi...by doing so, he became just the fifth player in a 20-year span to be drafted out of high school and advance to the Double A level in his first full minor league season, joining Chad Billingsley, Zack Greinke, Clayton Kershaw and Dylan Bundy...combined to post a 5-4 record with a 2.83 ERA (29ER/92.1IP) with 143 strikeouts in 23 games (18 starts)...was named an MiLB.com Organizational All-Star following the season.

2016

Debuted as a professional, tossing 18.2 innings in eight games between two affiliates...signed his professional contract on June 22 after being drafted on June 8.